Uttar Pradesh petrol dealers withdraw strike

Petrol dealers in Uttar Pradesh have withdrawn their four-day old strike after the state administration gave them an assurance to consider their demand for reduction in the trade tax on fuel.

While 2,700 dealers were seeking a cut in the trade tax on petrol and diesel to bring it on a par with the rate prevailing in the neighbouring states including Delhi and Haryana, the Mulayam Singh Yadav government had refused to concede their demand.

The strike, which was called of late Friday, had shot up prices of essential commodities throughout the state.

"We decided to call off the agitation following the assurance given by Chief Secretary NC Bajpai and Food and Civil Supplies Secretary Sudhir Kumar that they would review the trade tax," BN Shukla, president of the state's petrol dealers' association, said.